The English improver improved, or, The svrvey of hvsbandry svrveyed discovering the improueableness of all lands some to be under a double and treble, others under a five or six fould, and many under a tenn fould, yea, some under a twenty fould improvement / by Walter Blith ... ; all clearely demonstrated from principles of reason, ingenuity, and late but most real experiences and held forth at an inconsiderable charge to the profits accrewing thereby, under six peeces of improvement ...

Shewes how good a publike Commodity Hempe is, with the mannar of planting.

CHAP. XL.

AS for Hemp, that is a very good Commodity, and would be farre the better▪ but that it is not mad so Nationall, yet as necessary I am confident, as a∣ny thing amongst us is yet; but not being inten∣ded, nor incouraged, as a staple or grand busi∣nesse as it might, and Flax also, and that more especially then this, but both joyned together, and a publique stocke erected, either in the general, or else in every particular Township;* 1.1 I know not but why the product thereof might not onely bring in a constant considerable profit for the stock, and the poore in every Parish maintained, both comfortably in a calling and livelyhood, especially all women kind, and children, but they fitted and brought up to a Trade and way, that may render them publikly usefull to the Nation. I should undertake to make it out, that this very way of it self would do it, if it would advance the work, Why should we runne to France and to Flanders, and the Low-Countries, and I know not whither, for thred and cloath of so many sorts, and fine linnen, and cordage? or rather, why should we not, if we be at want of Work-men to make out to that worth and goodnesse, fetch here and there a workman from thence, and so preserve, or rather raise the Trade wholly within our selves, had we but Law put in execution to constrain people to labour, and some way to perswade men to use their Lands to the best advantage to themselves and publike, what should we want? We have the Commodity grows ex∣ceeding well among us; we see we have and can make excel∣lent good cloath, better for use then theirs.

Object. You will presently say, we want Work-men, especially such as do it well.

Answ. To that I shall answer, people wee have enough you will confesse it, and some that can worke well too where is the fault then? I being not a Tradesman can scarce tell you, but onely will desire an answer to this que∣stion: and then it may be I shall resolve you: what hath made cloathing common among us? and made Worke-men at it too, but the very Trade of it, the experimenting of it to purpose, the carring it on with power and purse, that by this meanes, where ever it is planted, there needs no work∣folks, they are ready to come from all parts where work may be had, then that is supplyed. It is true, at the first setting up, people are raw, untaught, and not very willing to learne, and may be (as ever it was,) in all new inventi∣ons, or setting up new works, you may suffer some losse and spoyle; yet if this be backed with publike countenance, and authority; I feare not any suffering at all, but if you should, you are but in the condition of all honest, publike ingenu∣ous spirits.

And secondly, I shall answer, that nothing ever did, or will come to perfection without great experiences, con∣stant practises, and great scrutiny into the bowels of it, and that will draw forth the mystery, and that is the pro∣fit and glory of all Trade and Merchandise, and then why we should not make fine cloath, and almost any cloth of our Flax, and raise our Flax to a great betterment too, I know not; I could name many things in England now, are made as good with us, as few yeares since wee could not, but were made altogether a beyond seas, and we supplyed from thence; but grant wee raise not so pure a Flax, then buy your Flax from the East or Best Countries endeavour the Trade of making your finer cloath thence, and your courser from our own, untill our Flax come up to theirs in goodnesse, which I am confident will refine exceedingly, both in the growth and workmanship of it; however use all meanes as to preserve the Trade of cloathing Linning, so far as our owne native Hempe and Flax will: I have heard of most pure cloath some Gentlewomen have made of their own flax, and Hemp.

I shall now proceed to a briefe discription of the way of raising it.* 1.2 As for the seed of it, that is familiarly bought and sold in all places in the season, but the best seed is your brightest, which you may try by rubbing of it in your hand, if it crumble with rubbing, it is bad, but if it still re∣tain its substance and colour, it is good.

The best land for it, is your warme land, your sandy,* 1.3 or a little gravelly, so it be very rich and of a deepe soyl, will doe well, as for your cold claies, as some affirme to bee good for Hempe, they exceedingly abuse the Reader, it is as tender a seed as any I know, and to make good my affir∣mation as to the land, consider the land where the best Hempe of England grows, which is upon the Fens and Mar∣shes, and especially in Holland, in Lincolnshire, where the land is very rich, and very sandy and light; but their morish land, though rich, is not good, and yet the very best land they can picke there, is but good enough for it, yea that very land they are forced to dung and soyl exceedingly too, after two or three crops, or else it will not doe; Nettle∣plots, and Thistle-plots, and land over growne wi••h the rankest weeds, if well purged there-from, will doe excee∣ding well for Hempe.

The quantity that is to be sowed upon our statute Acre is three strike or bushels,* 1.4 and harrowed in with small har∣rowes, the which after the land is made exceeding fine as the finest garden, then in the beginning and middle of April is the time they sow it; some sow it not till the end of April, but if it be any thing a kindly year, the earlier the better, and so preserved exceeding choicely at first, for feare of birds destroying of it as you see in many Countries; but yet there where they sow so much they never value it, bee carefull that cattel neither bite it, nor lie upon it; for though some say it matters not for being kept from Cattel, so they may save the fencing of it,* 1.5 yet I say if it be either bit∣ten, or else but a beast lyeth upon it, after it is come up, it will destroy it.

The season of getting of it is first about Lammas,* 1.6 when a good part of it will be ripe, it may be about one half, that

is a lighter Summer Hempe that beares no seede, and the stalke growes white and ripe, and most easily discernable, which is about that season to be pulled forth and dryed, and laid up for use, or watered and wrought up as all hous-wives know, which you must pul as neatly as you can from among the rest, lest you break it, for what you breake, you utterly destroy, and then you must let the other grow for seed untill it be ripe, which wil be about Michaelmas, or a little before, may be a fortnight before (when seed and stalke are both full ripe, and you come to pull,* 1.7 you bind up in bundles as much as a yard band will hold, which is the legal measure; but for your simple or Summer Hempe, that is bound in lesser bundles, as much as may be grasped with both your hands; and when your Winter Hempe is pulled, you must stocke it up, or barne it, any way to keep it dry, and then in the season of the yeare, or when you please, thrash it, and get out the seed, and still preserve your Hempe till you set to the working of it, which instead of breaking and tawing of it as they doe in most parts, there they altogether pill it, and no more, and so sell it in the rough; but I leave all at liberty for that, whether to pill or dresse up by brake and Tewtaw.

As for the seed an Acre will beare,* 1.8 is two or three quar∣ter, and it is there sold but usually about a mark a quarter, sometime ten shillings, and sometime less, this yeare it was sold for twenty shillings a quarter, if good great Hempe, then store of seed, else not, but in many and most parts of the Nation it is sold for about four shilling a bushel.

Your fimbled Hempe is not worth above halfe so much as your other, sometimes it is subject to weeds, to carlock and muckel-weed, which must be weeded, but the best way to destroy them, is to let you Hempe-land lie one yeare fallow, I onely speake of Holland, the cheapest place for it and the first fountain of it, but generally throughout the Nation, it is of far more worth and value.

The richer your land is,* 1.9 the thinner, the poorer, the thicker, you must sow. One Acre of good Hempe may bee worth five, six, seven or eight pound an Acre, & sold as soone

as pulled, and gathered; but if it be wrought up, it may come to eight, nine, ten, or twelve pound, or more, it is a com∣mon thing in use, every one knowes the manner of working of it to cloath.

It maintaines many people in a good imployment, and ought to have more publick incouragement given to it, not so much beca••se of its advance of land, as the poor poople of the Land.

Notes

• * 1.1

  A design to set all poore to work•• and wel maintain them.
• * 1.2

  How to know the best hemp∣seed.
• * 1.3

  Best hemp∣land.
• * 1.4

  The quantity the time of sowing of it▪
• * 1.5

  It must be fen∣ced.
• * 1.6

  Times of get∣ting it.
• * 1.7

  How much the statute requires in a bundle.
• * 1.8

  What seed is worth.
• * 1.9

  The best land for Hempe.